by Steve Berkowitz, USA TODAY Sports

by Steve Berkowitz, USA TODAY Sports

You can put your money in stocks, commodities, real estate or myriad other ventures.

But you can't watch any of those investments run with the ball on Sundays.

Beginning in about two weeks, that might change. A San Francisco-based company is announcing Thursday that it has made an agreement to obtain an interest in the current and future income of Houston Texans star running back Arian Foster in exchange for $10 million that it hopes to raise through the creation and sale of a tracking stock tied to Foster's marketability.

The company, known as Fantex Holdings, has filed a registration statement with the Securities and Exchange Commission and soon will stage an initial offering of 1.055 million shares at $10 per share, co-founder and CEO Buck French told USA TODAY Sports. If successful, Fantex hopes to make deals that will result in the creation of tracking stocks tied to other athletes and entertainers.

The sale of all initial Foster shares will activate a contract with Foster that, according to French, has been in place since Feb. 28. Foster will get the $10 million from Fantex, which will get 20% of his football, endorsement and other brand-related income reaching back to Feb. 28 and going forward in perpetuity. If, for example, Foster gets a broadcasting contract after his playing career ends, Fantex will get 20% of his pay.

If all of the Foster shares do not sell, Fantex's contract with Foster will not go into effect and people who made commitments to by shares will get their money back, French said.

The 27-year-old Foster currently is under an agreement with the Texans that is scheduled to pay him base salaries of $5.25 million this season, $5.75 million in 2014-15, $6 million in '15-16 and $6.5 million in '16-17, although the last three years are not guaranteed. Not including the $31,500 bonuses Foster would get for each game he is on the 46-man roster, Fantex would collect $4.7 million if Foster plays out the entire deal.

French said Fantex would work with Foster's current player representation, marketing and business management team to enhance his renown and opportunities. Foster has endorsement deals with companies including Under Armour and the Kroger's supermarket chain. He has made a guest appearance on the TV drama Hawaii Five-0 and was cast for a role in an upcoming football-related movie called Draft Day that stars Kevin Costner and Jennifer Garner.

"If we help grow and build Arian's brand," French said, "that's how we make our money."

Fantex -- whose board of directors includes Denver Broncos executive vice president of football operations John Elway -- also could make money through a corporate entity it is creating as the brokerage marketplace for its tracking stock. After the initial public offering, that entity will get commissions from buyers and sellers.

Although a stock dividend may be paid at some point, investors likely stand to make money only if there is enough interest in Foster and belief in his future earning power and popularity to draw more than the initial number of buyers. Shareholders will have no direct investment in Fantex's contract with Foster, Foster's brand or Foster himself.

However, even more than fantasy football team owners, they will be able to say they have a significant rooting interest in the long-term success of a three-time Pro Bowler.

"We think that we can obviously raise the money from the public markets because there will be the interest (after the initial offering) that, 'Hey, this an interesting thing because I'm interested in the sport, I understand finance â?¦ and I want to own a tracking stock that's linked to the value and performance of Arian Foster's brand," French said. "I do think people will find that interesting."

Foster first gained renown for going from being an undrafted free agent in 2009 to leading the NFL in rushing in 2010. He has rushed for at least 1,200 yards in each of the past three seasons and has 531 this season (second in the NFL). Along the way, his varied off-field interests prompted a cover of The Sporting News in July 2011 to dub him "The Most Interesting Man in the NFL." Last month, GQ called him "our favorite running back right now."

Recently, he has been in the spotlight for saying in a new documentary about college sports that he received money while playing at the University of Tennessee.

"He is an interesting, unique individual off the field," French said. "In a way, he approaches life as a trailblazer. Those are attributes we think we can build a brand around."